


Crystal Chains

by sweet_arsenic



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha Shiro (Voltron), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Angst, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Multi, Mutual Pining, Non-Graphic Violence, Omega Keith (Voltron), Omega Verse, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Shiro (Voltron), Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-05-01 15:21:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14523510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweet_arsenic/pseuds/sweet_arsenic
Summary: It was supposed to be a simple mission. Until they find an Omega in one of the sheds and all things go to shit.And Shiro swore by all accounts that he wasnotfalling in love with the said Omega.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warning for my shitty worldbuilding. And probably some errors (will correct later).

**Lance's Playlist**

_“Jukebox Hero”_ by Foreigner

 _“Bring It On Home To Me”_ by Sam Cooke

* * *

“You’re fidgeting, man.”

Lance spoke in a low voice, eyes trained on the dirt road in front of them while his hands steadily held the steering wheel. He glanced at Shiro again from the rear-view mirror, pulling a face of mild concern.

Sure enough, he _was_ fidgeting. Cramped in the stupidly small truck that they were, Shiro still found himself bouncing his leg anxiously, his left hand tapping to an unclear rhythm on his knee. And it wasn't to the upbeat music Lance had playing in their system for the entire drive (which Shiro didn't know if he started just because he liked the sound of it, or because he wanted to soothe all of them — whatever the reason, he permitted him to play it anyway).

Fortunately Hunk, who was sitting next to him, didn’t seem to mind, instead his eyes were on the look out, surveying the dry landscape outside. Not just because it was a mission, either, but because so few have been to the outskirts of the city. Many of them have never even _been_ out of the fifth ring, because being part of Garrison required training nearly a quarter of your life, which meant being stuck in the bases closest to the center of the city.

“Must be nervous,” Shiro reasoned, ducking his head down. He stared at their dust-covered boots and counted the stains on the dingy, old truck’s floor.

Today’s agenda was nothing serious. Headquarters detected some activity, which meant either somebody had escaped from the city and was hiding out in the outer rings — the desolate area that civilians were prohibited from entering — or the enemy sent out a group to gather information.

Either way, their mission was delivery, not elimination. They were to escort the civilians back to the inner rings (with a justified punishment for crossing the borders) or bring in the enemy spies for interrogation in the third ring. Three soldiers squeezed into one truck was enough for the job. Attached behind them was an empty compartment meant to house the people they’ll be capturing for the two-day trip back to the inner rings.

It was rookie stuff, fit for Hunk and Lance who had just completed their Garrison training a few years ago. And it was by far one of the tamest missions Shiro’s been assigned to ever since he returned from The Front, a chunk of land in the outer rings that’s been disputed over by the Galra and their enemies. Ever since the enemy line was able to advance enough to break into the outer rings, civilians have been forced to relocate into the inner rings, resulting in thousands of families being displaced and thousands more losing precious loved ones that were drafted into Garrison to fight in The Front.

The battle there wasn’t quite over yet. But ever since Shiro lost an arm and a close friend to the fighting in The Front, they sent him back with a medal of honor and one year of leave. He’s been revered as a hero among those in Garrison ever since, but he figured that most of the higher-ups don’t believe he is in the right shape to handle any more specialized missions.

“I can’t believe people used to live here. I can’t see anything but dirt and sand.” Hunk commented next to him. Shiro could see Lance nodding along in the mirror, either in agreement with Hunk or to the chorus spilling out from their system. The screen next to him displayed their truck nearing its target.

“We’ve got 20 minutes, team. Ready your equipment,” Shiro instructed, even if they were already all fully armed with weapons and updating their tracking systems.

“Practice your lines, boys,” Lance joked as he took a right, putting them within sight of an old warehouse, one of the only establishments left standing that wasn’t reduced to rubble in the fighting. The outer rings were nearly all uninhabitable, after the number of bombs that their enemies have rained down on the territory. Thankfully, it made it easy to convince the civilians to stay out of there, but the wide stretch of untouched, unguarded land also made it fairly tempting for enemy troops to use as a common hideout spot.

When they were close enough, Shiro activated the rest of his suit, automatically locking a full helmet into place and hiding his scent. Hunk and Lance did the same, their faces disappearing from view as the helmet was activated. Lance stopped the music and ejected his card from the radio, though Shiro saw him discreetly slip the device into his suit for later.

The suits were a special thing crafted by the finest in Galra Tech. Ever since they were released two years ago for testing, Galra Tech has pumped out nearly seven hundred thousand more for military troops in Garrison simply because of its unique masking ability. It was an astronomical invention, one that hid your scent, therefore your secondary gender, from everyone in the field — truly making you anonymous in battle.

Because scents meant that your enemy could easily make a simple profile of you, your probable strengths and weaknesses. And any information that the enemy has of you is already a point to their advantage. It was designed with the purpose of hiding everything from your enemy but still giving you the same opportunity to profile them as you would have with the suit off. Your sight remained unhindered and, if anything, was much more enhanced from the numerous settings the vision scanners had. You could still easily catch the enemy’s scent without revealing your own under the confines of your helmet.

Not that it was much use to Shiro. His nose wrinkled as he thought about it, trying to catch a scent of his surroundings out of reflex. When he’d lost one of his limbs, they thought it was the worst of it. Days later, in the infirmary he was brought to, they discovered that a scar left across his nose had also seriously damaged his sense of smell, leaving him almost completely unable to catch the scent of anyone around him.

When the truck pulled to a stop, Lance activated the door open and they all jumped out of the vehicle. “Let’s go, team.” The sound of his own voice muffled by the static sound of the comms played back in his ears. Hunk responded curtly, then they were marching into the old warehouse in search of their targets. Lance gave them a brief salute and swiftly ran to a crumbling building nearby to position himself.

They approached the building cautiously, making sure their steps hardly left a crunch on the floor as they advanced. No one was out front guarding the entrance, which either meant they were too small of a group, all unfit to, or simply foolish for not thinking of it in the first place.

Shiro ducked down next to the door when they got near enough, listening in for a few seconds to figure out just how many occupants there were.

“We’ll never make it in time. Pidge already said they sent a team out two days ago for a collection mission in the outer rings.” The voice sounded a little desperate, but steady enough that it still radiated authority. The voice was female, that much he could pick up, but his nose still failed him when he tried to get anything else.

Finally, Lance’s voice chimed in the comms to inform them he has finished setting up his gun and became their only eyes in the situation. “Okay, she’s loaded and all ready to go.” Shiro heard the sound of Lance arranging his sniper rifle. “I’m seeing two people in there. A tall woman speaking and another dude with his back turned. The woman’s about two feet away from the door, the dude’s five.”

Just then, the man spoke out. “We have to risk it, it is for the security of the data,” He retorted in a deep, commanding voice, “Our mission would be for nothing if we lose the data in the process. The Blade requires that information to complete its goal, not for the return of three of its soldiers.”

 _The Blade_. They must mean the Blade of Marmora, a vigilante group that’s been on the rise in the last decade. They were labelled as an enemy group by the Garrison, and any association with them were deemed punishable, meaning the occupants could already be identified as criminals.

“Do you need me to take them out?” Lance asked from the comms, overhearing the conversation the two had inside the warehouse that gave them a fraction of their identities. Shiro tapped out a negative response in his system, clicking a message that would immediately order Lance to stand by.

“Roger that.”

“I am as loyal to the Blade as you are, Antok. If this were any other mission, I would have agreed to risk everything for the sake of this gathered data, but this isn’t.” The female’s voice trailed off. “You _know_ what I have to lose in the process. You _know_ what I have to sacrifice.”

Whatever the man was about to respond was interrupted. With a swift gesture to Hunk, Shiro immediately kicked open the door and set his gun to immobilize for the first figure he saw. The woman had stepped out of the way fast enough, leaving him to charge after the man called ‘Antok’. Shiro had expertly shot him with a voltage gun strong enough to knock a person out in one or two shots. The Blade spy fell to the floor in a thud after the second shot, not having enough time to even unsheathe his weapon.

Behind him, Hunk let out a distressed cry. Shiro couldn’t pick up much of what went on, but he turned around and could tell Hunk took a shot to his thigh from the unnamed woman, who was preparing for another much more lethal shot until Shiro aimed the voltage gun at her.

At the first hit, she cried out in pain and her knees doubled over. But she recovered enough to pull out a dagger from her belt and launch it at Shiro. “ _Shit_.” Shiro jumped back in time, but still felt the edge graze his sleeve in the process.

The second shot knocked her down for good, collapsing on the floor.

“We’re from the GGA-M61 branch. You’re under arrest for conspiring with listed enemies of the Galra Empire.” The lady paid them no mind as she continued panting on the floor, too incapacitated to try anything else.

She didn’t wear Blade of Marmora colors and didn’t carry around anything that contained the insignia, but Shiro supposed it would’ve been a beginner’s mistake for a spy to reveal their affiliation without a lengthy interrogation process. After quickly patting her down to make sure she carried completely unarmed, he turned her over to Hunk.

Hunk immediately knelt down, attaching the containment cuffs on her hands to prevent any more damage. When Shiro noticed his wince, he remembered his injury and his eyes moved to the growing red stain on Hunk’s uniform.

“Lance, I’m gonna need you down here as back up. Hunk is down.”

“Gotcha.”

Hunk chuckled as he rolled to the other side of the floor. “Not _down_ -down. Maybe 50% down from the shot. But I’m good.”

“Still on my way,” Lance said in a sing-song voice, tone a little bit strained as Shiro imagined him running down the stairs of the building across from them.

Hunk had already pulled out an emergency pack they all had strapped to their suits. With a piece of cloth, he tried to stop himself from bleeding out before he lost too much. “I’m gonna survey the rest of the place. Stay here and wait for Lance.” Shiro instructed, tone slightly calmer than usual as he looked away from the blood gathering in the cloth and Hunk’s uniform.

“Sure, Shiro. Lance will join you soon.”

With that, he left Hunk to do a final check of the rest of the rooms in the warehouse. There wasn’t much to go through, since the damaged warehouse was missing all but its second and first floor, with parts of the third floor (that served as the roof) even gaping with holes.

The old floor hardly creaked as he walked around the place, but he doubted that he should worry about alerting any possible third party of his team’s presence in the warehouse since the shot must’ve already done that. Still, better to be safe.

Upon reaching the last room, he kicked open the door and trained his gun on the first thing he saw.

There was a someone staring back at him, his eyes were wide in fear as he backed up to the wall. The person was much smaller than he was — perhaps only a little older than Lance and Hunk — though the extent was unclear because of the loose, tattered clothing he wore. Or was made to wear. “Please, help me,” he croaked out, which was enough to make Shiro lower his gun slightly.

He took a deep sniff at the room — fully expecting to pick up nothing at all — and was bewildered when something actually came back to him. _Gunpowder and wet grass and smoke_. Shiro jumped back in surprise.

“You’re… an Omega?”

The boy nodded frantically at Shiro’s question, visibly shaken as he eyed the gun Shiro held up.

A bitter taste resided in his mouth, making it curl downwards into a displeased grimace. He’s heard of the terrible things that the Blade and the rest of the Galra’s enemies do to Omegas. He knew that, even as the rarity that they were, they were hardly respected outside the Empire. Stories were passed in between troops of how they were abducted from their families, abused, made as slaves for the enemy soldiers, and easily disposed once they were no longer needed.

Shiro didn’t even want to imagine what kind of fate the Omega has been forced to suffer, with his tattered clothes and all. Finally, he let his gun down completely, kneeling down on to the Omega’s level and speaking in his calmest tone.

“Come on. I’m from Garrison and I’m here to help” He extended a hand in what he hoped was a non-threatening gesture. “Let’s get you to somewhere safe.”

The Omega smiled at him and he found himself smiling back. A small hand found its way to his own and Shiro prepared to reach his team through the comms and inform them of the person he’s found.

What he didn’t expect was for the Omega to pounce at him after he let his guard down, a knife ready and aimed directly at Shiro’s throat. Thanking his quick reflexes, he knocked the knife out of the Omega’s hands and tried to get the boy off him. After he was painfully clawed at his side and kicked in the stomach, Shiro let out a pained grunt and threw the body to the floor out of self-defense.

With a growl, the Omega sprinted past him to pick up his abandoned knife and turned to Shiro to let out the finishing blow. Before he could process what happened, the Omega in front of him cried out in pain and the knife bounced out of his hand once more.

“Okay, that’s enough of that.” Lance’s voice rang through the comms. When the Omega clutched his injured hand to his chest, Shiro caught the sight of Lance standing in the doorway, gun pointed at the Omega. After recovering from the flare of pain, the stranger let out a growl as the knife skidded across the room.

“Move and I’ll shoot your other hand,” Lance warned dangerously.

After he remained quiet and settled to glare daggers at the both of them instead, Shiro took it as his cue to get off his ass and move to cuff him before anything else happened. After injuring his hand, the Omega was pliant enough and didn’t move an inch as Shiro started restraining him, but still seem quite annoyed when he patted him down to make sure he wasn’t hiding any more knives to use against them.

When he was done, he stood up and shot a look of disapproval at Lance, even if he knew he wouldn’t be able to see it with the helmet on. “You should have just shot him with the voltage gun on sight. We were ordered to leave minimal injuries at most.”

Lance’s tone at least seemed remorseful in the comms. He shrugged as he dropped his gun to his side. “I panicked a bit, Shiro.”

They grabbed the Omega and made their way down. It was halfway down the stairs that they heard their truck, the same truck that got them to the outer rings in the first place, start its engines. “Fuck,” was all Lance said before he stormed downstairs in a hurry, with Shiro left behind still guarding the Omega.

From outside, he heard the old tires screech as they came to life on the sandy road. Soon, the sound of the truck quickly driving away registered in his ears, their ticket back to the inner rings slipping out of their grasp.

When he came down to the first floor, Lance was pathetically slouched over the entrance, while Hunk was lying down the floor, looking completely given up. “We’re screwed,” Lance announced, “The other guy knocked Hunk down and jammed his comms after I left. Then he grabbed his buddy and stole our only way out of here.”

“So, we’re stuck here for two more days until help comes to get us,” Hunk miserably concluded on the floor. Then his head went up and he gave Shiro a curious look. “Who’s that?”

After being acknowledge again, the Omega in his arm stiffened, no doubt standing straight and putting on his best glare to try to look as menacing as possible to the bleeding man on the floor. “I’ve caught a hostile Omega. He appears to be working with them, which means he is considered an enemy.” Shiro’s voice trailed off nervously. “But he’s an Omega so I don’t know the protocol for that.”

Lance deactivated his helmet and sniffed the air. He nearly toppled over as it registered. “No fucking way! I didn’t even _know_ the Blade had Omegas in their ranks.” Then he eyed the Omega with a scrutinizing look. “I thought the members were all ordered to sell their Omega children.”

“The Blade would never do that,” the Omega bit back with the same ferocity he used to almost stab Shiro in the neck and end his existence. It was one of the first few words he’s actually said since Shiro found him trembling in the room. He took it as his cue to step in. “Lance, enough. Stop goading him. We have to set up a signal for Garrison and contact them about the situation.”

“Yeah, help patch me up. I could probably find a signal they have here and use it to reach Garrison,” Hunk suggested. Lance sighed and soon stood up from the floor, pulling out his medical supplies while walking over to his friend.

Although they encountered some difficulties in the mission, which were expected in the first few years of being officiated as a Garrison soldier, Shiro noted how Hunk and Lance’s training seemed to prevent them from panicking too much at the situation anyway. Though they still had years to come before they were actually permitted to take more life-risking missions in the outer rings and beyond, they both showed maturity and responsibility in their time with Shiro. He just hoped they wouldn’t lose their innocence the same way he did when he came back from The Front.

Taking the Omega to the corner of the room, Shiro took out an emergency lock used to lock down the cuffs to any surface. He didn’t really want to have to tie down the Omega like a feral dog, but he supposed it was their safest bet until they received orders of what to do with him.

Any other enemy and Shiro wouldn’t have hesitated to put his stoic mask on, chaining them down like a soldier and making sure they were restrained until further instruction. But Omegas were… Omegas were different.

Ever since an epidemic brought by the enemy troops in the outer rings broke out, Omega populations have been dropping drastically. They said it had started with contaminated water, some chemical in it apparently doing heavy damage to the Omega’s reproductive system. It didn’t help that areas sieged by the enemy quickly lost most of their Omegas to slavery and much more gruesome fates. With a decreasing fertility rate in their hands, Galra Tech took it upon themselves to offer safehouse facilities for Omegas to be cared for and nursed back into health. While those affected by the epidemic were brought in for containment until the company discovered a cure.

Omegas became a rare sight after the event. Parents of children who presented as Omega were ordered to contact the Galra Empire as soon as possible, making it so that the Empire could bring known every Omega within the city to the safe hands of Galra Tech.

Truthfully, no one knew much about how Omegas fared outside the Empire aside from the common knowledge that they were stripped of all rights, essentially reduced to breeding tools and nothing more. Some were born into the cruelty, others were taken from a young age and raised in the hostile environment, brainwashing them into thinking that that’s all there was to life.

Shiro tried not to think about what kind of environment their captured Omega was raised in.

“Fuck you,” the Omega spat angrily as Shiro finished activating the lock that would chain him down to the wooden floor of the warehouse.

He sighed in return, shook his head. “We’ll get you to Galra Tech soon, you’ll be safe there.”

With that, he stood to start looking around for food. None of them had their rations with them, since the food and water supply remained safely untouched in the back of the very same truck that the Blade spies got away with. With luck, they would be able to find supplies in the warehouse that would be enough to last all four of them for at least two days. He entertained the idea of asking the Omega himself, since the knowledge that they trusted him enough with a weapon probably meant he knew where the food was hidden as well. But he doubted their temporary prisoner would reveal _any_ information to them, even the kind that could possibly save them from starvation.

He assumed they kept everything within reach, in the event of a hasty evacuation or relocation. Sure enough, he found an abandoned bag strapped on one of the posts, containing two containers of water and three packs of rations. It would be enough, he hoped. Although now he was more conflicted of what to feed their captured Omega. He's never actually met one — Galra Tech kept them under heavy security to prevent any threat to their health — so he didn't know how much food and water they needed, if their requirements even differed from theirs at all.

Shiro wished he had learned this all in Garrison. But the event of encountering a stray Omega seemed so minimal that they hardly paid any notice to it at all during the training process. He still knew the protocol for a million other situations by heart, but none of it seemed to aid him in deciding how to treat the Omega they had cuffed to the floor.

A painful static was heard by the entrance, so he promptly untied the bag and made his way back. Just as he entered, he caught Hunk attempting to explain their current predicament to the nearest Garrison communications center they reached.

" _Where is your assigned senior officer?_ "

"Present, sir. Takashi Shirogane of the GGA-M61 branch." Shiro answered sternly.

A few more seconds of static and the radio Hunk compromised from the spies spoke again. " _Confirmed. Instructions relayed from your branch dictate ensuring the Omega's utmost safety for delivery to the main Galra Technologies, Inc. facility in 2nd inner ring._ "

"Understood, sir. Any further instructions?"

"None. Radio connection will be cut off in five seconds."

Shiro looked up and sighed as the line went dead, going back to the default buzzing noise. Lance shut the device off and placed it out of the way. Hopefully, they wouldn't have any more reason to contact Garrison for help.

Outside, the sun was quickly setting and the winds were getting stronger. Shiro just prayed their area wouldn't be hit with a sandstorm while they stayed in the warehouse, since he was unsure that the old building could take it. Lance and Hunk (or maybe only Lance, since Hunk didn't seem capable of walking long distances) had shut all doors, windows, and openings while he was off searching for food.

"Okay, team. We need a briefing." Shiro sat on the floor next to Hunk and gestured Lance over. Finally, he deactivated his own helmet and felt some relief at the absence of the sounds of the comms blaring in his ear and the slight discomfort at feeling trapped inside the suit. He quickly spread out the contents of the bag he found in front of them, taking in every packet and trying to figure out how each would benefit them.

He counted. Dried fruit, crackers, and food bars in each ration pack. And the water they had left could've amounted to a little less than a liter. Yeah, this could work. This could work for them.

"So, their communications said that the emergency vehicle would come in five days at most. Three at least," Hunk informed him once everyone was settled. Shiro winced at that, as expected. It was a pretty long stretch, and their food and water supply was already limited. Plus, every day that they spent in the vulnerable outer rings was a gamble at their safety. It didn't help that they were all clearly donning complete GGA gear, something that would've caught the attention of anyone in an area notoriously known for the number of criminals and spies running around.

"...And they said to make the Omega our top priority," Lance added, casting a glance at the figure that still remained near one of the corners in the room. Shiro looked over and noticed that the Omega was also blatantly eyeing them, no doubt attempting to gather whatever information he could about his captors. After all, he _was_ still a Blade spy, even as an Omega.

"Let's gather up what we can so we can settle for the night then." A clap from Shiro brought the Omega's attention back to the floor, looking uninterested once more as their discussion ended. "We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow, team."

Lance nodded and returned to the second floor of the warehouse, promising he spotted blankets and other essentials in one of the rooms they cleared. Shiro handed Hunk a piece of dried fruit, who quietly thanked him, and took the rest of the pack. Slowly, he approached the glaring Omega.

"Here, it's for the night. After you eat, I can get started on healing your hand." Shiro sat across from him and extended the fruit to his mouth. The Omega's hands were still shackled behind him, so any attempt at eating on his own seemed futile. But he also didn't seem to keen on the idea of being fed by one of his captors.

The Omega kept his mouth screwed shut, even though he appeared ready to hurl a hundred insults at all of them. Shiro placed the fruit back inside its packet and went to get his medical supplies instead. "Yeah, I'm not a big fan of kiwis either."

Leaving it open in front of the Omega, he went behind him to work on any possible injuries. Thanks to Lance's expert shot, the Omega's hand was untouched by the bullet. But he did cut himself slightly with his own knife in the process. Shiro grabbed a small container of sterilized water and poured it over the wound, making the Omega flinch.

"Sorry."

Once he finished, he tended to his own cut that the Omega's companion left.

The Omega was still staring at the dried fruit when he picked up his own share. Before he bit into his, Shiro tried again and brought another piece up to him. Deep purple eyes glanced at him warily at the action. "It's mango this time," he assured the Omega.

Just then, Lance triumphantly came back down with three rolled up blankets. He gently dropped two next to Hunk and walked over to tentatively place one within the Omega's reach as well.

"I can take night shift. You guys get some rest." Lance nodded and soon left them to join Hunk in munching on some crackers and dried food, the faint sound of music playing from Lance's system soon reaching Shiro's ears.

The exchange seemed to soften the Omega a bit, because afterwards he was hungrily biting down on the piece of fruit Shiro held out for him. He ate one more before turning away and refusing to acknowledge him. "Can I have your name?" Shiro asked as he savored his only dinner for the night.

"If you stop sniffing me out like a creep," the Omega retorted.

A heat crawled up his neck. He cautiously peered over to where Hunk and Lance were, since it was something he didn't really want his team to hear. "Sorry, I'm usually not like this." He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, chewing on a small piece of dried orange. "I just have a bad sense of smell, so I have to try twice as hard to get anything... not that that can serve as an excuse for being a creep, by the way."

The music from Lance's system changed tracks, shifting into a slow song. Hunk was getting ready for bed and Lance had already stripped down his suit to reveal a white tank top, but he kept the uniform's pants on.

"You can start sleeping too. I'm sorry we can't uncuff you for that, but I can help you get into a more comfortable position, if you'd like."

At his suggestion, the Omega wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Okay, yeah — no touching. I forgot about that," Shiro chuckled and leaned on the wall next to the Omega, clapping his hands to get rid of the food crumbs. The music playing trailed off after a song ended and Lance shut it down afterwards, sparing a short 'good night' that carried throughout the room as his head dropped down. Hunk called it a night soon after, his snores telling the rest of them just how tired he was.

Without the continuous hum from Lance's system, it was easy to hear the wind rattling what was left of the buildings outside. In spite of the noise, Shiro felt his eyes droop. He felt his limbs go limp in exhaustion. What brought him back to consciousness was the sound of something moving next to him. He turned and saw the Omega awkwardly shuffling into a comfortable position in his corner, trying unsuccessfully to grab the rolled blanket with his hands still bound.

"Here." Shiro scooted over to him and unrolled the blanket, draping it over his body. The Omega said nothing, not even looking at him while he did it as if he was already too tired to care. But he raised his eyes to Shiro, in them a sort of gratitude that remained unspoken and barely even stayed for more than a second. But Shiro caught it and nodded in understanding anyway, moving back to his previous spot.

Because he did understand. They were still enemies, and small acts of kindness wouldn't change the fact that they fought on opposite sides. But his body ached and he found he could hardly bring himself to care of what the Omega has been through beyond the lands of the Empire to turn him into what he is.

"Good night," Shiro whispered, even if he knew it'd go unanswered.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, it's been a while and I'm finally back with a second (much shorter) chapter. not beta-ed so proceed with caution

**_Lance’s Playlist_ **

_ You Make My Dreams _ by Daryl Hall and John Oates

_ “Papa Was A Rolling Stone”  _ by Temptations

_ “Escape” _ by Rupert Holmes

 

* * *

 

There was music playing when he woke.

He did not pretend he wasn’t the slightest bit delighted upon hearing it. It’s been a while since he’s met anyone who’s had the luxury of having recorded music with them. They were hardly ever permitted to use such devices. It was easily picked up by radio towers. Not to mention how expensive it usually was.

Keith could not afford to be relishing in the melody upbeat sound of pop music though, he had to be up and ready to attack at any moment. He had already failed once and it cost him dearly. It cost him possibly the chance to ever see his mother ever again

“Morning,” a chipper voice sounded next to him. Upon turning, he recognized the Alpha who had tended to his wounds the night before.

The man was wearing a kind smile and a faded tank top. It was hard to imagine he’d been up nearly all night looking out for his teammates.

It was also also almost a surreal experience thinking about how he’d been treated so far. What he had expected just weeks ago vastly differed from what he now knew about Garrison tools like those three.

Keith said nothing in response, glaring for a bit before turning away again. He examined his surroundings, the warehouse they’ve been hiding out in for days. He had known it was unwise to stay in the same location for too long, but Antok had deemed it necessary to establish a stable connection with their spy inside Galra Tech.

_ Now look where that got me _ , he thought bitterly, missing the comfort of his mother’s scent nearby.

He didn’t like the idea of becoming new meat for Galra Tech, for the Empire he had been fighting against his entire life. It was revolting. He knew what they did to Omegas like him behind those pristine, white walls. They were sedated for the rest of their lives, assigned to a political figure, general or officer within the Empire, and drugged out of their minds with heat pills until they conceived again and again. It had been the kind of horror stories mothers told their children inside the Blade camps, he never knew it’d one day come so close to becoming his reality.

_ But there's only three of them _ , he noted with newfound determination. Keith could’ve easily taken them all out if he were not cuffed, so he’ll have to get creative on his part. Be smarter.  _ This is what all your training was for. _

But for now, he let the Alpha get near when they reapplied his bandages. He noticed only the leader ever seemed to have the courage to approach him. The two others seemed like more of his underlings, expendables. They were probably ranks below him, which were why they stared at him with such wide, curious eyes.

_ It’s like they’ve never seen an Omega before _ , he scoffed. Though, that was likely the case. They were inexperienced soldiers, untouched by the reaches of war. Someday when they have had ten, maybe twenty years to their service, maybe then they’d settle down in their disgustingly posh inner rings and await their assigned Omega with childlike glee and an inner malice only Alphas from the Garrison ever developed.

By the time lunchtime had come, they were gathered around in a circle sharing nuts and crackers. The soldiers were anyway. Keith was stowed to the side like a pet. And he felt like one too, being chained helplessly to the floor.

“So where are ya from, Omega?”

Keith’s head jerked up upon being addressed, looking at the soldiers with mild irritation and caution. “What?”

The other soldier glanced back and forth at the two of them. Keith took in his injured arm, his gentle stance.  _ Easy target.  _ “Lance, we aren’t supposed to-”

“What? Talk to it?”

“Don’t call me that,” the said Omega growled, baring his fangs like a predator. “I’m not an ‘it’.”

“You’ve been snapping and growling like one.”

“Lance.” Their leader’s voice boomed through the small warehouse, bouncing from the metal walls like a distant clang. It cut through the chatter like a knife, hardly leaving anything out of question. His command was final and absolute silence spread throughout. “Be civil.”

The soldier from earlier —  _ Lance _ , apparently — straightened up after that, resuming to quietly munching on his dry crackers. Keith found it even more insulting that their so called leader had stood up for him, as if he couldn’t protect himself. Protect his own dignity. Well, he supposed it was a probably way of thinking considering he did end up getting captured. He showed  them weakness and they took it as his entire character.

“I grew up in the Blade camps. Trained and raised,” he answered anyway, which got all of them looking at him in surprise, even the Lance kid. “And that is where I will die as well, not in the confines of your fucking Galra rooms, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Keith finished with an snarl and tucked himself backed into his corner. He knew that the information would not and could not hurt him anymore than he already was. So what if they knew of his beginnings and origins? They wouldn't know how he got there, why he was there at all, what he was planning to do to all of them once they let their guard down even the slightest bit.

“Blade camps?” one of them inquired obliviously.

“It’s a settlement where they raise their young and keep their families,” their leader explained, “kind of like a village.”

Lance put his food down and stared at his feet. “I didn't know the Blade-”

“-had families?”

“-had  _ villages _ ,” the Alpha corrected with a sneer, but it soon morphed into something more hard to read, reflecting the conflicting emotions going on inside the soldier’s head. “We’re sorry to take you away from your family. But Galra Tech is safer.”

For a second, Keith felt the urge to succumb to his remorse, to feel it as well for his previous actions. Maybe offer an apology. But then he remembered the war outside, the war happening at the very moment that they were sitting in their little warehouse. He remembered the suffering he has faced and its effect on his people.

Keith just gave his most distasteful sneer, “I’d rather die than deliver myself to the hands of the Galra.”

Just like that, the spell was broken, everyone was back to nervously eating their food and minding their own business. Meanwhile Lance rolled his eyes at him and muttered under his breath, “wow, the Blade really  _ does  _ brainwash them.”

After packing up the food, Lance stood and said something about scanning the perimeter. He activated his whole suit and went venturing out (Keith would’ve advised against it, seeing as it was already a big, fat red flag for anyone out there who considered themselves enemies of the Empire, but he was not opposed to having Lance hunted down). As usual, it was their leader came to him with food and water.

While he was handing him a bottle of water to drink from, he whispered close enough for only them to hear, “Lance is just not used to these things, but he’s a good kid. I’ve seen it myself.”

“And I’m not used to being chained to the floor like an animal,” Keith replied snarkily. He heard the man sigh and Keith’s shoulders slumped a bit with it. If given the choice, he knew he would give him the quickest, least painful death. He had been kind to him, and Keith intended to pay back that kindness in whatever shape or form if it ever came down to it.

_ But he’s still an enemy _ , he heard his own voice say.  “I won’t apologize.”

“I’m not asking you to.” The man put the cap back on the water bottle and placed it on the floor. “I’m just asking you to understand him. We’re more than our suits, we’re human too.”

_ That’s a lot coming from someone who belongs to a war-mongering empire. _

After a pause, he put the food away and extended his hand. Not that Keith could (and would) shake it anyway. He didn’t know what the guy was expecting. “And since we’re trying to do our best to understand your situation, I think you should get my name at least. I’m Takashi.”

It caught him off-guard, how casual everything was. Almost immediately, he found himself testing out the unfamiliar syllables. “Ta-ka-shi.”

He nodded and gave him a gentle smile, Keith struggled to return it. “And you can tell us your name whenever you’ feel like it.”

The soldier stood to retreat to his position in the front door, guarding. Always guarding, always working. He was probably the most Garrison-like out of all of them,. But to Keith, strangely enough, he was no monster.

 

* * *

 

 

It was day three, and they were closer to getting their ticket to freedom once more. Not only that, but the Omega was opening up to him more, appearing more trusting even though each hour going by made him frantic about Galra Tech. Shiro could tell even if he never brought it up anymore after that one time, the thoughts of going there still terrified the Omega.

Lance’s statement crossed his mind, about how they brainwashed the Blade members, and he considered it for a while. Maybe they really knew so little about the inner rings that everyone just made stuff up. He imagined how they viewed the people outside the rings. Savages. Maybe not all of it rung true, and maybe the same can be said for what the Blade thought of them.

Everyone, save for the Omega, was feeling relieved. Hunk and Lance seemed happier than ever that their hellish mission would soon be over and done with. Shiro woke up feeling more well-rested than usual because of what promises the day held. It wasn’t a certainty that the Garrison would be able to locate them during that day. But it was a possibility, and possibilities were enough for Shiro to get by.

When they were doing a final sweep of the place to make sure nothing was misplaced, Shiro picked up the distant sound of engines roaring. With a smile, he alerted Hunk and Lance and the two excitedly activated their suits and strapped on their belongings. Lance was practically bouncing while listening to his music, but when he peeked through the window, his smile disappeared.

“ _ Get down _ !”

An arm brought Shiro’s body down to save it from being shot full of holes. Hands clutching the wooden floor, Shrio quickly activated his suit and prayed that the Garrison backup come to their aid, but even  _ he  _ knew his luck had already run out.

He heard the Omega yelp from a distance. He was still there, in his corner, ducking down like the rest of them. Shiro carefully crawled over to him to make sure no damages were made.

“Let me go, I can fight,” he insisted, but Shiro ignored him. “Suit up, men, we’re dealing with enemies of the Empire.”

“Roger that.” Lance had already propped himself up next to the window, holding his gun and ready to shoot. “I see two people, not the same Blade members from before.”

Hunk was also found next to an opening, crawling there with much difficulty due to his healing injury. He tried to get a few shots in, but was in too much pain.

“They’re closing in!”

“Okay, keep them preoccupied, once they kick the door down, I’m attacking. Lance I want you on offense, Hunk defense.”

“Got it.”

“On my count,” Shiro’s voice boomed through the radio comms, “one, two-”

Just then, a small device was accurately thrown in through the window. At first, he thought it was gas, they would’ve been safely protected from that. But it beeped once all Shiro felt was an immense pain all over his body, electrical current coursing through his veins until he lost consciousness.

He heard the screams of Lance, Hunk, and the Omega. For a split second, a thought crossed his mind about his memories in the Front. Watching his comrades die before him.

Then everything was silent save for the song pouring out of Lance’s tracks and the sounds of footsteps approaching, and he heard a thud as he hit the ground.

Shiro was knocked out far quicker than he would’ve liked to admit.

When he came to, there was an incessant throbbing in his head and the distinct sound of their weapons and parts of their suits clattering to the floor. Through his hazy vision, he was able to make out two of their captors shuffling through the loot they’ve gathered on the floor, while Lance, Hunk, and the Omega were all restrained with the very same cuffs they had on their suits. No doubt he was bound by the same ones.

From the corner of her eye, an unfamiliar woman detected his slight movement. Her eyes twinkled as she greeted him. “Rise and shine, Officer.”

Suddenly, a voice impatiently called out from the front. “Are you done yet, Nyma?”

“They’ve got their seatbelts on,” one of their captors, the blonde, cheerily called out once she finished securing every single one of them in the back of the truck. On cue, the engines revved to life.

Something must’ve happened to catch her eye, because she walked over to Lance and kneeled back down. “Oh, what’cha got there?” Feigning innocent curiosity, the captor easily snatched Lance’s storage card from his belt, bringing the sleek device up to examine it.

“That’s mine!”

Unperturbed by his anger, the woman tossed the card over to the driver. “Hey Rolo, play one of these.” Soon enough, their system was reading through his playlist until he selected a track. A loud beat began to blast from their vehicle system’s speakers.

“That one’s not bad.” The blonde smiled impishly. At the sound of Lance’s frantic protests, her smile fell as she appeared slightly irritated. “Okay, now you’re getting a bit mouthy for my taste. This should just about cover it.” She grabbed the duct tape she had threatened them with previously and cut off a lengthy strip.

Leaving Lance with his mouth taped shut, she patted his cheek twice as if petting a helpless animal. Afterwards, she shut locked the doors and walked over to where her comrade sat, taking her place in the shotgun seat.

Hunk and Lance both miserably looked at Shiro, their pleading eyes telling of how they were so obviously clueless as to how they would escape the situation. Fighting back to urge to hang his head low in shame —he shot them a look that hopefully translated to ‘ _ I have a plan _ ’. Although he didn’t.

Behind him, the Omega weakly struggled against his bonds. “I told you to let me out. I could’ve helped.”

Shiro glanced over his shoulder. “They caught us by surprise. None of us would’ve been prepared for that.”

An impatient knock sounded from the front of the truck. “I hope none of you are getting any ideas back there.” Rolo’s tone sounded so lazy it didn’t even strike as a proper threat. “It’s not worth it.”

“Where are you taking us?” the Omega demanded more than inquired.

A boisterous, high-pitched laugh was heard from the front of the truck. Then the girl answered in a delighted tone, “to someone who would pay us  _ loads  _ for bringing in some Garrison soldiers.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning not betaed. Am back from hell (aka art school) with a new chapter of this again

_**Lance's Playlist** _

_“We’ve Gotta Get Out Of This Place”_ by The Animals

 _“Immigrant Song”_ by Led Zeppelin

 

It took them hours before the truck came to a stop.

He could hear the human noise outside, laughter and cheering, as if they were being welcomed home.

 _Scavengers_ , he thought. The groups of nomadic criminals that travelled within the outer rings. They’ve been captured by scavengers, which meant they were all on their own, if that wasn’t already evident the moment that the girl named Nyma snapped the handcuffs on them.

The sun was setting, and it basked the truck’s compartment in harsh reds and yellows when the doors opened.

The Omega growled menacingly (as if that would help anything) as the new strangers inspected them. Nyma and her companion showed up soon and hefted them out of the truck.

There was no making a run for it, they were completely surrounded as soon as they stepped out of the truck. The inspectors deemed them clear and they were forced to trudge along the dirt road nearer to the settlement.

Shiro noted the other trucks coming in from other places, parking just right next to Nyma’s truck. One by one the doors opened and they were greeted with the sight of more captives being forced to walk along the path they walked. Into the center of the small village.

Darkness was quickly taking over and it got hard to see, but he could still make out the fear in all the captives eyes as the scavengers gathered them up like herded sheep. “Great,” the Omega muttered beside him as he tugged on his restraints, “What do we do now?”

Shiro turned over the question in his head and he could feel the panic begin to seize him. No, he had no idea what to do. They were stuck in the middle of nowhere with scavengers who were no doubt thirsty for their blood. But panic was no good. Panic would not get him out of anything. He needed clarity. A clear head would get him out of this. Surely. Hopefully.

Just then, music started blasting out and the crowd around them cheered. Shiro felt himself being pushed forward into the center with Hunk and Lance.

“Behold the mighty Unilu!” someone announced in a grandeur voice “King of the scavengers!”

The crowd parted to reveal a skinny man of small stature, triumphantly waving to the crowd as if he were a king. He practically was, according to them. He walked until he was in front of a throne-like seat made out of scraps. “My fellow people,” He said with a raspy, snakelike voice “it is with joy that I announce that all of our carriers have returned to our camp safely. And with presents!”

He clapped his hands and the sound rung through the sandy wasteland. “Present your gifts, carriers!”

Nyma and her partner stepped towards the throne. “I Nyma, and my partner, Rolo, step forward to bring to you four gifts!” She gestured towards them and a guard from behind them knocked Shiro down until he was on his knees in front of king Unilu. “Three Garrison soldiers from the inner rings!”

“Well, isn’t this a surprise!” His malicious laughter echoed those of the people. “Now, what do we plan to do with these gifts?”

Already there were so many answers among the people. Shouts were being heard from every direction. “Kill them!”

“Now there’s an idea!” A dangerous glint shone in the eyes of the king as he regarded the three frightened soldiers. “Killl our enemy’s little toy soldiers for fun. Now wouldn’t that be something.”

“But!” He voice sliced through the crowd’s murmuring and shouting. “I’ve got an even better idea. Take them to the gladiator pit!”

The crowd erupted in cheers and Shiro paled. He had no idea what it meant, but he had no doubt it was something horrible. His most pressing concern, however, was the fate of the Omega.

“And, as a special gift,” Rolo smirked and pushed the Omega forward “we’ve brought you an Omega.”

The crowd gasped in shock and the murmuring started getting louder. Omegas were rare within the rings, even rarer outside of it. It was a surprise to all of them what Nyma and Rolo had brought. The king himself appeared amazed at the present, his eyes widening in delight. “And what do we plan to do with this gift?” He asked the crowd.

The crowd shouted suggestions, most of the lewd and vile. They made Shiro’s blood boil. He turned to the Omega and could see he was stiff as a wall, pale as snow. They needed to get out. _Now_. Or else it would be too late.

“I hear all your suggestions,” the king waved his hand through the air, cutting silence through the village, “And they are excellent. But I am instead welcoming this lucky Omega to become part of my harem!”

The crowd cheered once more as they approved of the decision.

With that, they were separated. The Omega was led away by several other scavenger Omega to prep him while Shiro and the others were dragged to the gladiator pit.

Hastily, he saw the Omega turn to him with with a look of panic and hopelessness rolled into one. _You'll be okay_ , Shiro mouthed. He hoped it was true.

He was forced to walk into a dark, broken building. When he got inside, he saw other prisoners bound in their cells. They were led to the farthest corner of the block before the doors to the right open and they were pushed into a cell.

“You have thirty minutes before the match starts,” the guard barked. Then he disappeared into the dark hallways and it was just them again.

“Now what?” Lance asked dejectedly. He was slumped on the cell wall, looking miserable.

Shiro looked at them with newfound determination. They were his crew, and he was willing to do whatever it took to get them home safe.

“Now we plan a way to get out of here.”

* * *

The guard came half an hour later. He unlocked the cell door and pulled Lance onto his feet. “Where are you taking him?” Shiro questioned.

The guard just grunted and ignored him. Lance looked back at them desperately and Shiro stood defiantly, blocking the guard’s way. “If you're going to take him to the gladiator pit, take me instead.”

The guard took one look at Lance, then at Shiro. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and shoved Lance back on the floor, gripping the other Alpha’s arm instead. “Fine. Either way, you both die.”

He looked back at his team as he was led away. He did his best to the convey hope in his eyes. The promise of escape. The promise that he'll stay alive. But, in reality, he wasn't so sure himself.

Hope was a funny thing, he thought. It crawled through the fissures and cracks of despair and bloomed there. It was no garden of hope inside of him, but he knew just a seedling was enough.

As they got closer and closer to the pit, the louder the cheering got. Once he reached the opening, blocked only by a shabby wooden door, it was almost deafening.  Outside he heard the sound of a man narrating the night's events.

“And, as a special treat, we bring you a Garrison soldier!” He yelled loudly. The audience booed in response. The door was pushed open and it was his cue to enter the pit. The light from the lanterns around him bathed him in deep orange. From here, the crowd looked dark and faceless. He could barely see their faces. Dark, ominous figures judging him, praying for his slow, painful death.

“Fighting, our reigning champion, the Crusher!” The crowds went wild with cheers, pounding in their seats.

The wooden doors across from him bursted open and a hulking man around a foot or two taller than him stepped out.

Shiro gulped and examined his opponent. Tall build, he was most likely stronger than he was fast. His long, shaggy hair obscured his vision and his left arm was bandaged like he had just come from another fight. He probably did.

He would be no easy opponent, he figured. But Shiro would manage.

“Fighters, choose your weapons!”

Shiro walked over to the impressive array of weaponry hanging from the sides of the pit. His eyes raked over each expertly as he traced the hilts and edges, tried to determine which would be be best for this match. He stopped at the sight of a traditional Galran blade. Lightweight, swift, and deadly. It was perfect.

When he turned, he saw his opponent carrying a giant axe. They got on their places and the host once again spoke into his mic. “Fighters ready!”

Shiro stilled, felt his arm connect with the blade and the blood rush in his ears. The sounds of the crowd turned silent to his ears and all he heard was the piercing sound of the whistle being blown. The match had begun.

The large axe was swung unto him and he dodged it expertly, jumping away as fast as he can to avoid becoming diced by the glorified kitchen knife.

“I don't want to fight!” He yelled at his opponent, “I just want to talk!”

The Crusher roared in anger and pulled his axe out of the ground. His swung again, and Shiro jumped back again, just barely missing this time. His leg was hit and he shouted in pain.

“Please, I can help you escape!”

His opponent came barreling towards him angrily, axe in hand. Shiro readied his stance and kept firmly on his feet before suddenly skidding to the side in the last second.

The huge man couldn't move in time, running straight into the armory and crashing into all the weapons. Shiro raised his blade and quickly made a slash at his side.

The Crusher roared once more and got onto his feet, clutching his side. He swung his axe in a last attempt to hit Shiro, but Shiro quickly dug the blade deep into his shoulder.

The fighter yelled in pain and collapsed on the ground. It was only then that the cheers of the crowd dawned on him.

“Behold your new warrior: the Champion!” The host yelled. And the crowd cheered his new name.

They quieted when the king stood in his seat, whispering something to the host. The host nodded and turned back to his microphone. “Our king has made a generous offer to the Champion tonight. Tonight, he shall get to pick an Omega out of the king’s personal harem!”

The crowd turned loud at the offer, whispering excitedly among themselves. Shiro looked at the platform where the king sat with his personal harem, all of them beautiful and obedient to his every whim.

But Shiro's eyes searched for the Omega. The one he found in the shabby building. He knew if he didn't save the Omega tonight, he would be in for something worse with the king.

He raised his hand and pointed to the Omega in the side, and those familiar purple eyes snapped up at him. “Him,” he said “I choose him.”

The crowd cheered at his decision. Before he could see the king's reaction, he was being pushed away back into the prison cells again.

The door shut behind him in a thud, but did not do much to drown out the sounds of the crowd outside. He thought he would be led back to his cell with Lance and Hunk again when the guard with him suddenly chuckled and said, “Sweet dreams, Champion.”

A sting was felt as the needle entered his arm and he felt his eyelids droop down. His legs turned to jelly and he fell face first onto the stone floor as the world turned dark.

* * *

He awoke to the feeling of a wet cloth on his skin.

Shiro gasped awake, lurching forward into the emptiness.

“Be careful,” a voice warned. With a hint of irritation.

Shiro turned and saw the Omega sitting next to his bed, holding a wet towel and rubbing it on Shiro's wounded leg. He winced at the sting. “What are you doing here?”

“You don't remember?” He raised an eyebrow at him. The Omega said, “You chose me in the arena, remember? Now they expect me to spend the night with you like some cheap whore.”

He rubbed his eyes and slowly came to his senses. Then he gawked as he took a look at what the Omega wore for the first time.

“What… are you _wearing_?” Shiro questioned as he slowly reddened at the sight of the nearly naked Omega. Thin straps of red cloth intricately crisscrossed his chest and waist. While a long skirt rode low on his shapely hips. He was adorned with gold and silver, the most striking piece among them a choker that was strapped around his thin neck.

The Omega rolled his eyes in spite of the furious red blush that crept into his cheeks, rubbing his his naked skin consciously. “I don't know. Everyone in the harem is wearing it.”

At the thought of the harem, Shiro's gaze turned serious. “How are you, by the way? How have they been treating you?”

The Omega looked to the ground, away from him. “Pretty okay. I mean, I haven't been forced to do anything besides wear this ridiculous outfit. But I have a feeling that's gonna change soon.”

“Yeah…”

They sat together in uncomfortable silence. Shiro stared at the naked skin of the Omega's nape. He got an idea.

“We have to have proof,” he said grimly, the realization dawning unto him. The Omega's eyes widened, stiffening on the spot.

“No, not like that. Maybe just…” His voice trailed off, “a mark.”

“A mark?”

Shiro's eyes glanced at his neck and the Omega did the same. His hands instinctively went up to rub at the skin of his nape. Then his eyes turned stony and filled with determination.

The Omega turned around and bared his neck, pushing his hair aside. “Do it.” He said. “Do it, Shiro. I'm ready.”

Shiro almost shuddered as he uttered his name. It was such a intimate moment, he felt bad for sharing it with this Omega he barely knew. Nevertheless, he stepped closer. Pressed a palm on the Omega's shoulder gently.

Shiro leaned in until his nose touched the Omega's skin and he felt his scent surround him. Only his. It was only ever his now. He wondered why it had to be his, out of all the people he's ever met. It was a scent he's grown to memorize. Gunpowder and wet grass and smoke. He drunk it all in like wine. “May I please know your name…?” he asked. He had to.

The boy shuddered as he whispered it into his skin. He let out a sigh. “It's Keith.”

“Keith,” he repeated.

And it became the last thing he said before he sunk his teeth into the porcelain skin. He heard Keith whimper in pain, and the hand on his shoulder tightened reassuringly. He tried to convey calming pheromones into the air to soothe him as much as possible.

Keith sagged in his arms and he felt the Omega relax. Shiro moved his hand over his own. Squeezing his hand.

He pulled away, watching a small scar form on the Omega’s neck. Shiro winced a little at the sight. It wasn't pretty, especially on the perfect, unmarred skin. After a second thought, he leaned in and licked the skin. Anything to ease the pain. It seemed primal, animalistic even. But something in him spiked at the feeling.

Some part of him liked the sight of his mark on Keith.

When it was all done, he helped Keith nurse the scar. Then he turned to his side of the bed. As he started undoing his bed, however, he felt a tentative tap on his shoulder. “We should, um,” Keith stuttered, gesturing wildly at the unmade sheets, “Not sleep apart. Just in case they bust in.”

“Right.” Shiro blushed. He scooted over to Keith's side and laid down with the Omega. Keith turned away from him until Shiro was just facing his neck. Shiro watched the skin there until he heard his breath even, saw his movements still. Until he was sure the Omega was asleep.

Then he closed his own eyes. Praying that the morning after brought them some kind of miracle. Anything to get them out of that place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo I know I gotta apologize and stuff for such a long delay. I'm SO sorry, art school is such a pain but it's my pain. And speaking of college, I started a Patreon but I haven't launched it yet. So you guys let me know if you're interested in becoming a patron so I can see if this will work out in the future.
> 
> This chapter was super rushed for me because I wrote it in one sitting. Let me know what you think about it in the comments below. Especially the fight scene, since I suck at fight scenes and want to learn how to improve that. So gimme your thoughts and suggestions here or hmu in my Tumblr (link in the end notes). Don't forget to leave a little love in my Kofi (link in bio and my Tumblr) because I am still a broke college student writing for fun :'(

**Author's Note:**

> After nearly four months, I finally come out with the first chapter of my Dystopian Omegaverse AU. Forgive the crappy fighting scenes, I literally have never physically fought anything despite learning basic martial arts.
> 
> PS please don't expect regular updates, I'm not ready for the commitment yet. In the mean time, hit me up on [Tumblr](https://omegakeith.tumblr.com/)


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